Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 5A
The Banks County News marks its 40th birthday
— Some history of the Banks County newspapers —
The News was first launched Dec. 4,1968
THE NEWS OFFICE IN HOMER
The Banks County News was
launched Dec. 4, 1968, by The
Jackson Herald Inc., owned by
the Herman Buffington family.
Mrs. Nancy Chambers, a
former Banks County ordinary
(probate judge), become The
News’ first editor. In 1978, she
wrote this about the founding of
The Banks County News:
“For a hundred years or more.
Banks County had become
accustomed to a weekly news
paper. When we suddenly were
without this enterprise, we were
at a great loss to know which
way to turn for a legal organ.
We met Herman Buffington,
publisher of The Jackson
Herald,
“On learning his personality
and approving his great paper.
Clerk of Banks County Robert
Payne, Sheriff M.L. Harrison
and I, as ordinary, decided after
much discussion, to use his
paper for our legal organ. We
had to go to court as there was
some opposition.”
“After we accomplished this,
we were still hungry for our
own paper so we soon start
ed talking to Herman about a
Banks County paper. We finally
convinced him of our needs and
desires so he started printing a
little Banks County news free.
He continued this practice until
in December 1968 when he
launched on a new career and
so did I, as I was retiring from
the ordinary’s office. When he
needed help, I was available.
Jan. 1, 1969, I found myself
editor and advertising manager
of The Banks County News.”
As Mrs. Chambers indicated,
even before starting The Banks
County News, The Jackson
Herald had carried some news
of Banks County within its own
pages.
During the first six months
of The News' existence, it
was a four-page tabloid size
(11”X17”) newspaper run off of
The Herald’s job press. It was
distributed under a third-class
permit as a free newspaper.
The newspaper then become a
“broadsheet” (large) size, albeit
only a two-page one. The small
sized newspaper had offended
some Banks Countians who felt
they should have a “big” news
paper and so Buffington pro
duced a two-sided broadsheet.
By September of 1969,
The Banks County News had
obtained a second-class mail
ing permit, the usual class for
newspapers which have paid
circulation.
It was in 1970 that The Banks
County News and The Jackson
Herald joined hands to become
essentially the same newspaper
but with each retaining its own
front page and its own mailing
list. News from both counties
was put in both newspapers.
This combination continued
for some 17 years until The
News became a completely sep
arate publication in July 1987.
At this time, The Herald pur
chased The Commerce News,
which had published the older
Banks County Journal. The
Journal’s name was tied up
by other ownership and so the
decision was made to merge the
two papers under the name of
The Banks County News.
At first, The News had no
“home” other than the down
town Homer residence of Mrs.
Chambers. That was remedied
in April 1970 when The News
opened an office in the old bank
building which Mrs. Chambers
owned on Hwy. 441 in Homer.
The former Ralph Bridges bar
ber shop building was purchased
by The Herald and remodeled
to serve the publication.
Mrs. Chambers continued as
editor/advertising director until
her untimely death on Oct. 13,
1985, at the age of 82. The
beloved editor was killed while
crossing the highway near her
home.
Brenda Williams, a Herald
employee who lived in Banks
County and who had been
assisting Mrs. Chambers, con
tinued as news editor.
When Mrs. Williams left the
firm in 1992, Sherry Lewis of
Maysville became news editor.
Angela Gary was named editor
in 1996.
Numerous other people have
worked in various capacities
over the years in helping pres
ent the news of Banks County.
Among those in the early years
were: Mrs. Lizzie Griffin, who
wrote “Here ‘N There,” a social
column about Banks Countians;
Mrs. Avery Arnold, mother of
Mary Arnold who also served
as a Maysville correspondent,
wrote the Maysville socials; and
Mrs. O.L. Bruce, who wrote
“Looking Out From Moccasin
Gap.”
The News was fortunate to
obtain the services of the long
time Banks County Journal
editor, Deedie Turner, in 1987
when The Journal publication
was folded into The News. She
served as The News' part-time
receptionist for several years.
How the
Journal
got started
A notice from
April 23,1897
“Dr. W.B. Hardmen, edi
tor of Harmony Grove Echo-
Gazette, has developed quite
a fondness for newspapers, or
else he thinks they are quite
a remunerative investment,
for he now owns two news
papers. Some time ago, Dr.
Hardman bought the Banks
County Gazette and consol
idated it with the Echo at
Harmony Grove. The Gazette
was published at Homer and
had the legal advertisements
of Banks County. So the legal
ads went along with the sale
of the Gazette, provided no
other paper was established
in Banks County. Hardly had
the Gazette changed hands
before a little paper over at
Baldwin moved into Banks
and claimed the legal ads.
Now in order not to lose the
county work, Dr. Hardman
has established a newspaper
at Homer called the Banks
County Journal with M.C.
Sanders as editor and the
Journal has the legal ads.
The Journal is a well-printed,
clean paper and Milton S. will
make it hum.
“Occasionally, a fellow will
come in and want you to give
him a ‘puff and if you don't
do it, he will swear he will
stop the paper but don’t feel
discouraged. Again, another
will come in and want to give
you a licking for some offense
you have given, but just keep
your old British bulldog near
by and you won’t get hurt.”
From The Jackson Herald
April 23. 1897
— The faces behind The News —
Publishers:
Mike and Scott Buffington are the publishers
of The Banks County News. The Buffington
family started The Banks County News 40
years ago. They now own six newspapers in
North Georgia.
lA
Mike and Scott Buffington
I
Gary
Editor:
Angela Gary has been employed with MainStreet
Newspapers for 23 years. She has held several positions
with the company and now serves as editor of The Banks
County News and associate editor of The Jackson Herald. She
can be contacted at AngieEditor@aol.com.
Reporters:
Sharon Hogan has been employed with MainStreet
Newspapers for 23 years. She is a reporter for The Banks
County News and covers several beats, including education,
crime and city government. She can be contacted at sha-
ron@mainstreetnews.com.
Justin Poole has been employed with MainStreet
Newspapers since February and is a graduate of Banks
County High School, as well as Piedmont College. He is
sports editor for The Banks County News, and covers several
news beats. He can be reached at justin@mainstreetnews.
com.
Poole
Chambers
Receptionist:
Anelia Chambers is a life-time resident of Banks County.
She and her husband, Alex Chambers, are involved in
many community efforts, including the historical society.
She has served as receptionist for The Banks County News
for 10 years.
Church News:
Suzanne Reed handles church news for The Banks County
News, including writing the articles and page production.
She has been employed with MainStreet Newspapers for
almost one year. Her husband, Brandon Reed, is sports edi
tor for The Jackson Herald. She can be reached at suzanne@
mainstreetnews.com.
Legals/Obits:
Betty Small handles all of the legal notices and obituaries
for The Banks County News. She has been employed with
MainStreet Newspapers for almost five years. She can be
contacted at betty@mainstreetnews.com.
Small
Page layout:
Jana Adams Mitcham has been employed with
MainStreet Newspapers for 13 years and has
held numerous positions. Among her current
duties is page production for The Banks County
News. She is in charge of layout of the front
page, as well as other pages.
Kristine Chambers, a high school student, assists with page production
for The Banks County News.
Mitcham Chambers
Ad design:
Ginger Chappell and Vickie West handle ad
design for The Banks County News. They have
both been employed with the company for
eight years each. They can be reached at
ginger@mainstreetnews.com or vickie@main-
streetnews.com
Proofreader:
Belinda Miller has been employed with MainStreet
Newspapers for three years. She is the proofreader for
The Banks County News.
Chappell West
Remembering 'Miss Nanny'
BY BRENDA
WILLIAMS
(Editor’s Note: This article
was first printed in The Banks
County News on Oct. 16,1985,
following the death of Nancy
Chambers. 'Miss Nanny' was
an integral part of The News
until her death. She led the
effort to bring the paper to
Banks County and served as
its editor until her death. She
was featured in many state and
national publications includ
ing an article, “Telling tales
of Homer: One woman runs
lively newspaper,” in a 1984
issue of The Atlanta Journal).
It didn’t happen in her famil
iar 1955 green pickup that
was pretty much known as her
“trademark.”
But the tragedy did occur
in a familiar path that she had
traveled so many times before.
“Miss Nanny” was carrying
her flower arrangement to the
church early Saturday night.
This was her ritual. It had been
her pleasure for many years
to supply a floral arrange
ment for Sunday morning
church service at the Homer
Presbyterian Church, located
across Hwy. 441 from her
home. Sometimes she would
set her clock for 6 a.m. Sunday
to fix the arrangement or some
times she would get it together
on Saturday night. But always
she would have a live arrange
ment of her flowers or maybe
a neighbor’s flowers to inspire
the services.
She left the keys in her
house, thinking she would be
returning in a matter of min
utes. With flower vase in hand,
she started across the road
to the church. But she never
got there. While attempting to
cross the highway, the 82-year-
old legend of Banks County
‘MISS NANNY’
was struck by a vehicle and
died a few hours later. She
died in an act of serving her
church.
“Miss Nanny” was loyal
to her church but perhaps no
more loyal to it than she was
to all of the other church
es in Banks County. There
is probably not a church in
Banks County that she had
not attended either for singing
services, funerals or on other
occasions. She could list all
the churches in the county
and it was her belief that the
churches were the backbone
of the county to which she was
so strongly dedicated.
As a co-worker of hers for
the past eight years, I have
been inspired so many times
by her and by her knowl
edge of the rich history of the
county. I am sorry now that I
didn’t pay closer attention. It
was such an honor to work so
closely with her in the “news
paper world” which had been
a part of her life since 1968.
She loved her church, her fam
ily, her county, her friends and
her newspaper.
The Banks County News
is known as “Miss Nanny’s
paper.” If someone wasn’t
familiar with the official name
of the paper, he knew what you
were talking about when you
said “Miss Nanny’s paper.”
She would travel many miles
just to take a picture for her
paper. If it was important to
the person or group who asked
for the picture to be made, it
was important to her.
Mrs. Chambers was a mem
ber of almost every civic orga
nization in the county, but the
Banks County Chamber of
Commerce, which she helped
organize, was her pet. Through
the Chamber of Commerce, she
was the mother of the annual
Holiday Festival in Homer. It
was an event she looked for
ward to and planned for just
about every day of the year. If
any visitors came by the office
who were not from the county,
she would remind them of the
festival during the Labor Day
weekend and of the Sunday
School Celebration held each
year. She has been the inspira
tion of the Celebration which
otherwise might have gone
under in past years.
She was never one to claim
glory for anything she helped
make a success. She was satis
fied to merely sit back and be
content that it was a success
and be ready to move on.
The happiness and well
being of the youth was very
important to this lady. She was
raised as an orphan and has
never taken for granted a care
free life. In anything she pur
sued, the happiness of children
and a better life for them was
at its core. She was never bitter
about anything, however, and
just knew that whatever came
her way, she could handle.
There will definitely be an
empty space at The News
office that can never be filled,
but “Miss Nanny’s” dedication
and inspiration to the newspa
per and her community will
always remain.
Miller
Mitchell
Ginn
Advertising:
Ginger Mitchell is the advertising representa
tive for The Banks County News. She has been
employed with the company for four years.
She can be reached at gingerm@mainstreet-
news.com
Jeremy Ginn has been employed with
MainStreet Newspapers for six years. He serves as the marketing direc
tor for the company and his duties include overseeing advertising for the
website. He can be reached at jeremy@mainstreetnews.com.
Classifieds:
Kathy Wilson has been employed with MainStreet
Newspapers for five and a half years. She oversees classi
fied advertising for the company, as well as accounts receiv
able. She can be reached at kathy@mainstreetnews.com.
Wilson
Subscriptions:
Debbie Castellaw has been employed with MainStreet
Newspapers for nine years. She is in charge of circulation,
which includes subscriptions, as well as accounts receiv
able.
Castellaw
,i ~ — 1
U'- ,
Bridges
Columnists:
Columnists for The Banks County News include Chris
Bridges, who has won state and national awards for his
columns. He previously served as the sports editor for The
Banks County News, as well as covering news beats. He is
now editor of The Barrow Journal. He can be reached at
chris@mainstreetnews.com.
www.BanksNewsTODAY.com
The Charmaine Show
Charmaine Augustin, the work life balance expert
will join the airwaves at WJJC Radio each morning,
five days a week at 8:30 am starting November 3.
Charmaine is a Life Coach, freelance writer, author
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WJJC welcomes The Charmaine Show to our
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WJJC Radio - 1270 AM www.WJJC.net 706-335-1270